http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2007/07/what-about-th-1.html [rquoter]What about the Iraqis? July 12, 2007 1:50 PM From today's press conference with the Senate Democratic leaders. I tried to get an answer to what I blogged earlier today. I did not succeed. TAPPER: Senator Reid, what do you say to critics who say, "Look, the Senate voted, including two of you up on the stage, to authorize the president to use force in Iraq. Is there not a moral obligation of the United States to make sure that the Iraqi people are safe before the U.S. withdraws"? It's very clear that withdrawing U.S. troops might make U.S. troops safer, but it won't necessarily make the Iraqi people safer. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER HARRY REID, D-NEV: As reported in the news this morning, 69 percent of Iraqis feel they are less safe because of the presence of Americans; 21 percent of the Iraqi people feel they're safer. That's pretty clear that American troops who are over there protecting the Shias, the Sunnis and the Kurds -- they're not welcome. That's the reason that they're doing a good job of protecting the Shias, Kurds and Sunnis, but they are all trying to kill our soldiers. That is a recipe to bring our troops home. And that's why the Levin-Reed amendment is so critically important. …It transitions the mission within 120 days, and by the first day of May of next year, our troops will be out of there, our combat troops will be out of there. They will be left to do counterterrorism, training the Iraqis -- continuing to train the Iraqis and protecting our resources. That's what the Iraqi people want and that's what American people want. TAPPER: I'm sorry, if I could just follow up very quickly...Do you think the Iraqi people will be safer with U.S. troops out? REID: It is clear that the Iraqi people don't want us there. It is clear that there is now a state of chaos in Iraq. And it is up to the Iraqi people to make themselves safe….We can't do it. It's time the training wheels come off and they take care of their own country. We have spent billions dollars. We're now spending $12 billion a month on Iraq. That's enough. In the last six months of the surge, six months, 600 more dead Americans, $60 billion more of American taxpayers' money. We, Democrats, unitedly believe that's enough. TAPPER: With all due respect, Senator, you didn't answer my question. REID: OK. This is not a debate. TAPPER: Will the Iraqis be safer? REID: We're answering questions. (calling on someone else) Yes, young man? Anyone else have a question? [/rquoter] <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O-d39O-YIuM"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O-d39O-YIuM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
I'm not sure why, but the Democrats' answer to the question of what should we do in Iraq ALWAYS reverts back to some type of polling figures. What kind of moronic way is that to run a war? Polling the general populace (who is incredibly ignorant to the situation), as compared to doing the right thing? Just plain stupid. Just plain liberal logic. I'm glad we have leaders in place who make decisions based on what they feel is right, not what they feel is the capricious opinion of the day. Of course, when the concerted liberal strategy of bombing the media with negative news is taken into consideration, quoting the poll figures in an effort to lose the war makes much more sense for LibQaeda.
I would wonder if the Iraqis are safer with the U.S. there. The U.S. is inspiring and acting as a magnet for a certain portion of the violence that would definitely disappear if we left.
With 100's of thousands of Iraqis dead, I have a feeling they have no idea what feeling safe means anymore. Anyway, what about the Iraqis? If we really cared about them from the get go, I think we would have done more to protect them. We don't care, that's the real truth. No one cares. It's all a lie for political persuasion on both sides. Let's do what matters for AMericans. Let's save some American lives. Let's quit Iraq.
